[My Exploration of Cultural Heritage] series, the highlights of an unequaled bestselling project

The publication of volumes on Seoul in the My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series,

the highlights of an unequaled bestselling project

150,000 copies sold in only 2 weeks after publication, with the sales of 4 million copies of the entire series in sight

Published on August 16, volumes on Seoul in the My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series have hit the bookshops. Ranking first in the sales of history books by major online and offline bookstores early on, My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, Vol. 9: Seoul, Vol. 1—The Elderly Lord, the Bright Moon over Ten Thousand Streams, Speaks and My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, Vol. 10: Seoul, Vol. 2—With Wine, One Learns to Become a Daoist Immortal; Without Wine, One Learns to Become a Buddha have been reported by principal South Korean media as well. Readers’ enthusiastic responses to these explorations have been demonstrated by the record crowds who have continuously attended the numerous large lectures and autograph sessions held since the publication of these volumes.

My Exploration of Cultural Heritage is a series representative of humanities books in South Korea. In the latest volumes on Seoul, Professor Yu Hong-june examines the cultural heritage and history of Seoul, a megacity where the past, present, and future coexist, with sensitive and keen insights while recounting related anecdotes in a relaxed style. Examining building complexes such as Jongmyo (Royal Ancestral Shrine), Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace), its back garden, and Changgyeonggung (Changgyeong Palace), My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, Vol. 9: Seoul, Vol. 1—The Elderly Lord, the Bright Moon over Ten Thousand Streams, Speaks profoundly unravels topics including: beauty of traditional Korean architecture during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910); lives, joys, and sorrows of the royalty; and countless stories held by each pavilion. As such, the book summarizes the charms of Seoul, a “city of palaces,” which are comparable to those of Kyoto, a “city of temples,” and Suzhou, a “city of gardens.” My Exploration of Cultural Heritage, Vol. 10: Seoul, Vol. 2—With Wine, One Learns to Become a Daoist Immortal; Without Wine, One Learns to Become a Buddha addresses the cultural heritage left by Joseon including: the fortress wall of Hanyang (old name of Seoul), the former boundary of the city; area outside Jahamun (Jaha Gate; also known as Chang’uimun or Chang’ui Gate); Deoksugung (Deoksu Palace) and its surroundings; Donggwanwangmyo (East Shrine to Guan Yu); and Seonggyun’gwan (also romanized as Sungkyunkwan; National Confucian Academy). Exploring places frequented by and little known to the public alike, these volumes introduce to readers the different faces of Seoul, a city still in the making.

In particular, the recent volumes on Seoul have been evaluated as opening new horizons in the series thanks to the author’s hitherto accumulated expertise. According to these assessments, the two books adroitly combine and present in an easily accessible style knowledge of history, culture, and arts and intersperse the narrative with tales of human interest, thus striking a deft balance between entertainment and information.

As the strength of the series, which has been dubbed the “cultural heritage of our age,” invigorates the publishing market, even gladder tidings are in prospect. Previously amounting to 3.8 million copies in sales, the project is expected to reach 4 million copies in sales thanks to the great popularity of the newly added volumes on Seoul. Holding this unprecedented record, the longest series representative of the South Korean publishing industry attracts attention in terms of the subsequent development of its unhindered trajectory.